Stepper-type tramming support for mining equipment



Dec. 17, 1963 Filed Aug. 12, 1960 G. L. ADAMS 3,114,425 STEPPER-TYPE TRAMMING SUPPORT FOR MINING EQUIPMENT 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORQ 65024: L ADAM-5 HA5 Arramvsv Dec. 17, 1963 e. L. ADAMS 3,114,425

STEPPER-TYPE TRAMMING SUPPORT FOR MINING EQUIPMENT Filed Aug. 12. 1960 e Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

: 650/2454. AaAMs H15 A r raeusv G. L. ADAMS 3,114,425

STEPPER-TYPE TRAMMING SUPPORT FOR MINING EQUIPMENT Dec. 17, 1963 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 12, 1960 IN VEN TOR. G ana. A DAMJ BY wm w H15 A 'r roe/v5 Y G. L. ADAMS 3,114,425 STEPPER-TYPE TRAMMING SUPPORT FOR MINING EQUIPMENT Dec. 17, 1963 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 12, 1960 mmvrozz 6502a. ADAMS H/s A TTQENE Y Dec. 17, 1963 G. 1.. ADAMS 3,114,425

STEPPER-TYPE TRAMMING SUPPORT FOR MINING EQUIPMENT Filed Aug. 12, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN V EN TOR. GEOEG'EL. A DAMS H15 A rum/Ev Fig.5

Dec. 17, 1963 G. L. ADAMS 3,114,425

STEPPER-TYPE TRAMMING SUPPORT FOR MINING EQUIPMENT Filed Aug. 12, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 IN V EN TOR. GEOEGELADAMS Fix-g. Z

United States Patent 3,114,425 STEiEER-TYPE TRAMMWG dUPPGRT FQR MlNlNG EQUllMENT George L. Adams, Salem, Ghio, assignor to The Salem Tool Company, Salem, @hio, a corporation of @hio Filed Aug. 12, 196i her. No. 49,367 9 (Ilaims. Cl. 18ll8) This invention relates generally to auger mining machines and more particularly to a tramrning support for mining equipment.

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Serial No. 726,925 filed March 12, 1958 and which issued as Patent No. 2,979,320 on April 11, 1961.

Auger mining equipment, whether it is constructed for deep mining or punch mining on the hillside which may or may not be associated with strip mining, requires a tramming support for guiding the equipment along the ground and for supporting the same while angering or drilling into the earth.

One form of tramming support is by the use of skids for the purpose of moving the mining equipment from one position to another. Such skids have been used in combination with independently supported jacks on the mining machine. In such instances the machine was alternately lifted or transported as the jacks had to be retracted in order to permit the skids to function on the ground.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a tramming support for machines such as mining equipment wherein the jacks are used in combination with the skids so that the machine may be elevated and maneuvered at the same time.

Another object is the provision of a tramming support employing in combination the use of skids for supporting and guiding mobile equipment in tramming wherein the equipment is raised on the skids by means of jacks and is provided with independent brackets that transfer the horizontal guiding and propulsion forces directly to the machine and independently of the lifting g'acks. With this structure a rugged and heavy bracket means may be mounted in vertical guides on the machine and raised and lowered by jacks while suspending or resting upon the movable skids. Thus any longitudinal movement of the skids or any movement created by swinging the machine transmits all the longitudinal and lateral forces in a horizontal plane through the brackets to the machine without injury or harm to the jacks that raise and lower the brackets or to the fluid motors that extend and retract the skids.

Other objects and advantages appear hereinafter in the following description and claims.

The accompanying drawings show for the purpose of exemplification without limiting the claims thereto certain practical embodiments illustrating the principles of this invention wherein:

HG. 1 is a view in side elevation of the deep angering mining machine comprising this invention and having a chuck on either end of the angering mechanism.

PEG. 2 is a side elevation of the mining machines similar to that shown in FIG. 1 in a horizontal position.

FIG. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view in front elevation of the machine as shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a modified form of skids on an angering machine.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a view in side elevation of the machine shown inFIG. 5.

Referring to FIG. 1 the mining machine is shown 3,ll4,425 Patented Dec. 17, 1963 "ice disposed in the main hole, drift or tunnel as indicated at 1, the roof and walls of which are braced by the iron frame 2 made up of end and arcuate roof sections secured together and braced against the earth. The tunnel 1 is provided with the conveyor member 3 which is disposed under the angering machine to gather the material mined as it falls or otherwise descends from the bored hole indicated at 4, the axis of which is at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the tunnel. The boring machine 5 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 comprises the machine base frame 6 having a bottom plate member '7 that rests against the floor of the mine when the machine is in operation. This bottom is illustrated more clearly in FIGS. 3 and 4. Machine base frame 6 comprises the bottom 7 with oppositely disposed heavy channel members 8 and it having a series of parallel plate members 11 providing an upwardly open base with ample space therebetween. The exterior of both channel members is provided with the connected bracket hoods l2 and 13 that support the vertically movable slides or lifting brackets 14 hoisted by the cylinder jacks 15. The depending flanges of the brackets 14 are provided with the inturned rollers 16 that rest on the top track surface 17 of the skid members 13 when the latter are lowered by the jacks 15 to raise the machine and its bed 7 from the surface of the ground and permit the machine to traverse on the rollers 16 along the top track surface 17 of the skids E8. The top track of the skids is a fiange under which the opposed inturned support pins 20 extend. A support 20 is below each roller 14. When the lifting brackets 14 are withdrawn upwardly inside of the enclosed connected bracket hoods l2 and 13 as shown in FIG. 3, the skids 13 may he slid back and forth on the supports Zll. As shown in FIG. 1 the machine and the skids are both on the ground and the skids are extended to the rear of the machine so that the expansible jack members 21 may extend rearwardly from the machine so as to engage the earth and prevent the machine from sliding rearwardly as pressure is applied to force the auger and its cutting head upwardly into the hole being bored. Relative movement between the skids l8 and the machine 5 is obtained by means of the jack member 22 which is illustrated in FIG. 2 and is connected to the machine through a pivotal connection 23 in the lifting bracket 14 at the rear of the machine and a second pivotal connection 24 to the skid 13 at the front of this jack 22. Thus by expanding or contracting the jacks 22, the skids 13 may be moved independently of the machine or permit the machine to move thereunder. However, when each of the skids 1% are dependently operated, the machine may be maneuvered so as to turn its axis parallel with the longitudinal axis of the tunnel or in any angular position necessary for the transportation or positioning of the machine. As shown in FIG. 2, the piston from the jacks 22 is shown in their extended position from the jacks. Each foot or bottom of the skids 13 is wide as shown in FIG. 4 so as to provide ample support for the heavy machine. Each lifting bracket 14 is provided with a swivel connection 25 between its bracket and the piston rod of the jacks 15 as shown in FIG. 3.

The machine base frame is upwardly open as illustrated in FIG. 4 to receive the tiltable frame 26. The tiltable frame is made up of the lower and upper bar member 27 and 2.8 which are connected at the front and by the plate member Sll and at their rear end by the plate member 31. The lower end of the rear plate 31 has the spaced extensions 32 depending therefrom and which as shown in FIG. 2 are provided with aligned transverse openings for receiving the journaled pins 33 which are carried in the antifriction bearings 34 mounted in the bearing housings 35 at the rear of the base frame 6. Thus the whole of the movable frame 25 may be pivoted about the axis of the aligned journalcd pins The rear end of the bracket hoods 12 and 13 are provided with the bracket members 36 which pivotally support the lifting cylinder jacks 37 that extend upwardl and are pivotally connected as at 38 to the cross head 49 which has the depending plates 41 connected to the spaced upper bars 28 of the frame 26. By expanding or contracting the jacks 37, the whole of the frame 26 may be pivoted around the axis of the journaled pins 33. The jacks 37 are fully retracted as shown in FIG. 2. However, they are expanded as shown in FIG. 1 to tilt the frame 26 and permit the auger to operate upwardly along an inclined plane relative to the base 6 of the machine 5. When the frame member 26 is lowered the bars 27 rest on the step 4-2 in the longitudinal plate members 11.

When the frame 26 has been raised to the desired position by means of the jack 37 the fluid is locked into the jack to hold the frame there. The front jacks 4-3 and the rear jacks 44 are expanded so as to force their points into the earth and thereby aid in locking the frame 26 relative to the tunnel for the purpose of holding the machine steady as the augering continues. Both sets, the front jacks 43 and the rear jacks 44, are mounted on top of the frame 26 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4. Thus the point jacks 21, 43 and 44 all aid in holding the machine steady while the auger mines.

The frame 26 slidably supports the mining machine carriage 45 as best illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 and particularly in the latter wherein the machine 45 is supported by the rollers 46 mounted on each of the four corners of the machine carriage 45 for engaging the opposite faces of the bars 27 and 28. There are two sets of the rollers 45 fore and aft of the machine carriage 45 which permit the machine to be moved longitudinally of the frame 26 for the purpose of feeding the auger into the bored hole 4. The reciprocal machine carriage 45 is fed by means of the two pairs of oppositely faced longitudinally disposed jack members 47 and 50 having their cylinders tied together, one pair on top and one pair on the bottom of the carriage 45. Jack members 47 have their piston members connected by means of the brackets 48 to the motor carriage 45 and the pistons from the jack members 50 are connected by the brackets 51 to the frame 26. As shown in FIG. 3 the jack members 50 have their piston rods extending from the rear; whereas in FIG. 3 the cylinder jacks 47 have their piston rods extending to the front of the machine. Both the cylinder jacks 47 and d are double acting and since they are connected between the frame 25 and the reciprocal machine mounting carriage 45 the four cylinders are effective in expanding and contracting the reciprocal machine mounting carriage 45 causing the same to ride longitudinally of the bars 27 and 28 being supported by the rollers 46.

The motor member 52 is mounted on the rear of the reciprocal motor carriage 45 and when energized will rotate the shaft 53 through the intermediate gear reduction. The shaft 53 carries the chuck 54 and has bolted thereto the flange coupling member 55.

The coupling 55 is arranged to detachably engage the nonround ends 56 of the auger sections 57. Each auger section is made so that when the motor carriage 45 is fully retracted, the auger section will fit within the space between the bars forming the frame 26. The auger is positioned as shown in FIG. 1 on the upwardly open tray 53. When supported by the tray 53, the rear nonround driving joint of the auger section such as indicated at 56 is inserted in the flange coupling member 55 and the front end is substantially aligned with the rear end of the auger string 57 which is supported by an adjustable yoke vertically adjustable by the jacks 60.

The upwardly open tray 58 as shown in FIG. 4 is secured to the large opening 59 in the front plate 34 The jacks 6d are mounted on each side of the front plate 2 9 and have their pistons connected through the brackets 51 to the cross member 62 which supports the centrally disposed yoke member 63 that may be raised and lowered. This yoke member is employed to be raised to hold the rear end of the auger sections in the hole by its shaft so that it may be coupled to the newly added auger shaft member. When drilling up, the auger sections may be alternated with connecting bar members representing only the shaft of the auger section. Auger section 57 extends upwardly in the bore hole 4. A rotary cutting head 64 is mounted on the end of the auger string 57 and immediately behind the same is a nonrotary barrel member 65. The material mined is cut out by the rotary head and passes backward through the barrel 65 that supports the head and is drawn by the auger sections 57 to the opening of the bored hole 4 where it drops to the conveyor 3 and is removed from the vicinity of the mining machine.

As shown only in FIG. 1, a shield member 66 is movable relative to the frame 26 by the jack 67 to support and aid in deflecting coal descending from the end of the auger string 57.

Referring to FIG. 1 the machine illustrated is the same as that illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4 with the provision of a different character of hydraulic motor 52 mounted within the gear reduction unit 83 which permits the use of a rotary shaft 53 extending from either end of the carriage 45. This structure permits the machine to auger coal downwardly or from the rear of the machine and at any angle from the horizontal to the vertical in the same manner that the forwardly projecting auger may drill. The angle of drilling may be extended beyond the swing by manipulating the jacks 15 so as to slope the base 1 in the direction in favor of the extended angle. Thus the skids may be employed to support the mining machine so as to dig downwardly below the horizontal from the forward and when the machine is not equipped with a coupling at either end of the carriage permitting it to drill in opposite directions.

Referring to FIGS. 5 to 7 the mining machine shown is principally for open pit auger mining and has a plurality of cutting heads. This machine is provided with two different sets of skids for tramming. One set of skids is employed for moving the machine generally longitudinally in relation to the rotary mining mechanism and another set is for moving the mining machine laterally. As shown in these views the mining machine has a base 84 sufficiently wide to accommodate four overlapping auger cutting heads which are geared together and are operated by the spaced right and left hand auger strings 85 driven from the gear case 86 by the motor 87. Thus the outer auger sections are connected through gears at their adjacent cutting heads and adjacent the motor 87.

The material mined is brought back by the spaced auger sections 85 to the conveyor 88 where the material is conveyed laterally for loading on trucks and the like. The extended conveyor sections 89 being suspended by cables from the frame 9t) and the lower ends of the conveyors 89 being likewise suspended under the conveyor 88 which permits the conveyor to swivel at different angels.

The frame 84 is provided with the auger storage racks 91 the frame of which are connected by the spaced pivots 92 to the frame 84 and the outer ends of the racks 91 are provided with the wheels 93 for supporting the racks for independent movement as a vehicle when drawn by the tongues 94.

As shown in the structure illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 the frame 84 likewise has a base plate 95 which normally rests on the ground and this base plate is joined by the side sections of the frame 84 and thus permit the auger units 85 to repose very close to the ground. The supporting skids and jack assemblies 96 for raising and moving the frame 84 are connected by the outboard sections 97 at the four corners of the frame 84. The outboard section 97 completely encloses the jacks that are employed with the skid and provide an opening to receive the jack members 98 the upper ends of which are pivotally secured to the cylinder housing as indicated at 99. The jacks are expandable so that their lower ends move downwardly independently of each other with their piston rods being pivotally secured as at 100 to the upper ends of the vertically movable slides or brackets 101 which carry the rollers 102. to ride on the top surface of the skids 103. The brackets 101 also have the spaced inwardly projecting pins 104 that project under the top flange 105 of the skid and retain the same.

One end of the skid 103 is provided with a pivotal connection 106 on the end of a piston that fits within the fluid actuated cylinder 107 the other end of which is pivotally secured at 108 to the other bracket 101. Thus expanding and contracting the piston within the cylinder 107 the skid 103 may be moved out or back within the brackets 101.

In their normal position the cylinders 98 maintain the skids off the ground to permit the frame of the base 95 to rest on the ground and support the augers at their lowermost position. As shown in FIG. 5, four of the skids 96 are disposed at each of the four corners of the frame 84 and the skids 103 are transverse of the mining mechanism. Thus this set of four skids 103 is employed to move the machine laterally of the direction of mining and since each of the cylinders 107 of these four skids are independently actuated one may guide or otherwise steer the movement of the frame by these four skids or by operating one or more of the same and the jacks 98 are contracted or expanded accordingly as one skid may be employed to turn the frame on its base 95 without the aid of the other skids.

It is also shown in FIG. 5 that each skid 96 is provided with two cylinders 107 one on each side thereof which cylinders are operated together and are preferably fed with an equalizer so that they will keep in step.

As shown in FIG. 6 when the skid 103 is retracted its inner end lies under the side girders of the frame 84 but not under the mining mechanism.

The machine shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 is also provided with two skids 110 which are disposed longitudinally of the mining mechanism and are bolted to the brackets 111 secured to the side of the frame 84. The skid 110 is somewhat different than the skids 96 in that two cylinder jacks 112 are provided at either end of the skid frame and each of these cylinder jacks are pivotally secured at their lower end to the brackets 113 which are likewise provided with the roller members 102 that roll on the upper surface of the skid 103 and the inturned pins 104 that extend underneath the flange 105 of the upper portion of the skid 103. These jacks likewise provide two cylinders 107 for actuating the skid longitudinally of the jacks. Each pair of jacks is operated in synchronisrn. However, the jacks at one end of the skid are independently actuated from the jacks at the other end of the skid to permit the skid to conform to irregular ground. The same is true of the jacks 98.

' The location of the skids 110 permit the mining machine to be moved or retracted to the mining face longitudinally of the mining mechanism.

The frame 84 is provided with a pair of hoists 114 which are mounted to swivel through an arc of approximately 110 and their booms may be extended or retracted horizontally to properly pick up and deposit the auger sections from each of the storing racks 91 to and from the position within the frame where they are employed in the auger strings 85.

The skids 96 and 110 thus are substantially the same as that shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and function to raise the machine on the skids and permit the machine to travel by means of the brackets 101 and 113 to move the frame along the skids to the desired position. By independently controlling the movement of the frame along these skids and selectively energizing the desired skid one may accurately steer and guide the movement of the mining machine. Then by lowering the machine so it rests on the base plate one may reposition the skids to another position for further maneuvering of the machine in the same manner as that of the structure shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.

I claim:

1. A tramming support for equipment consisting of a base for carrying the equipment and capable of resting on the ground, a plurality of sets of vertical guides mounted in spaced relation from each other and secured to said base, the guides of each set being mounted in alignment with each other, a bracket mounted for vertical movement in each guide for transmitting any lateral forces thereto, independently controlled lifting power means secured to said base to provide positive up and down movement for each bracket in its guide, a skid suspension means on each bracket, one skid for each set of vertically movable brackets in each set of aligned guides and carried by said skid suspension means enabling each skid to be movable back and forth relative to the brackets supporting the same, the brackets of each set alternately and movably suspend said base adjacent thereto from its skid when the latter is on the ground and movably suspend its skid from said base when the latter is on the ground, and independently operable lateral power means for each skid and its set of brackets, each lateral power means having a pivotal connection at one end to one bracket of its set and at its other end to the respective skid of the set to move the skid back and forth in said skid suspension means and relative to said base, said lateral power means when selectively operated to move one skid of a set relative to the said base steering the tramming movement of said base when suspended by said lifting power means from said skid, said lateral power means when selectively operated to preposition its respective skid when suspended by said lifting power means from said base.

2. The tramming support of claim 1 wherein each of said sets of vertical guides include two vertical guides in number each having one bracket for each skid.

3. The tramming support of claim 1 wherein said lifting power means are vertically disposed lifting jack cylinders secured to said base, and piston means independently operable in each vertical jack cylinder and connected to its bracket.

4. The tramming support of claim 1 wherein said skid suspension means consists of roller means on each bracket to engage the top of a flange on its skid to support said base when moved back and forth while the skid is on the ground to movably carry said base, and pin means to engage under the flange on its skid to support its skid when moved back and forth when the base is on the ground.

5. The tramming support of claim 1 wherein said latera1 power means for each skid is a double-acting jack cylinder and piston.

6. The tramming support of claim 1 which includes two of said plurality of sets of vertical guides with their brackets and skid mounted on said base to dispose their respective skids to be movable in their skid suspension means at an angle relative to each other.

7. A tramming support for equipment consisting of a base for carrying equipment and capable of resting on the ground, a plurality of pairs of aligned vertical guides mounted on said base, a bracket mounted for vertical movement in each guide for transmitting any lateral forces to said guides, skid suspension means mounted on each bracket, a skid for each pair of brackets in each pair of aligned guides and movably carried in said skid suspension means, an independently operated jack connected between said base and each bracket to provide positive up and down movement for each bracket vertically in its guide, and power means for each skid connected between the skid and one bracket of each pair to provide positive 7 back and forth movement for the skid in said skid suspension means and relative to said base.

8. The tramming support of claim 7 wherein said jacks level said base when supported from said skids.

9. A tramming support for equipment consisting of a base for carrying the equipment and capable of resting on the ground, a plurality of pairs of aligned vertical guides mounted on said base, a bracket mounted for vertical movement in each guide for transmitting any lateral forces thereto, skid suspension means on each bracket, a skid for each pair of brackets in each pair of aligned guides and carried by said brackets in said skid suspension means, an independently operated jack for each bracket including a cylinder mounted on said base and a References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 2,800,970 Barrett July 30, 1957 2,906,515 Swanson et al. Sept. 29, 1959 2,935,309 McCarthy May 3, 1960 2,979,320 Adams Apr. 11, 1961 

9. A TRAMMING SUPPORT FOR EQUIPMENT CONSISTING OF A BASE FOR CARRYING THE EQUIPMENT AND CAPABLE OF RESTING ON THE GROUND, A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF ALIGNED VERTICAL GUIDES MOUNTED ON SAID BASE, A BRACKET MOUNTED FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT IN EACH GUIDE FOR TRANSMITTING ANY LATERAL FORCES THERETO, SKID SUSPENSION MEANS ON EACH BRACKET, A SKID FOR EACH PAIR OF BRACKETS IN EACH PAIR OF ALIGNED GUIDES AND CARRIED BY SAID BRACKETS IN SAID SKID SUSPENSION MEANS, AN INDEPENDENTLY OPERATED JACK FOR EACH BRACKET INCLUDING A CYLINDER MOUNTED ON SAID BASE AND A PISTON PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO ITS RESPECTIVE BRACKET TO PROVIDE POSITIVE UP AND DOWN MOVEMENT FOR EACH BRACKET, AND INDEPENDENTLY OPERATED JACK MEANS FOR EACH SKID CONNECTED BETWEEN THE SKID AND ONE BRACKET OF ITS PAIR TO MOVE THE SKID BACK AND FORTH IN SAID SKID SUSPENSION MEANS AND RELATIVE TO SAID BASE. 